In preparation for a series of mega-events culminating in the 2016 Summer Olympics, the state has been reclaiming select favelas in Rio de Janeiro. Territories that have been controlled by drug gangs and largely off-limits for as long as thirty years are being colonized through a series of aggressive government programs that involve military occupation, infrastructure provision, beautification and selected removal. Following James Scott I argue that the production of “legibility and simplification” associated with these programs is necessary for residents to fully participate in modern society, but that these measures expose residents to predatory aspects of the state and capital.

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